With no fluoride in Buffalo’s water, parents can take steps to protect kids’ dental health

Some of the region’s highest-profile dentists and academics at the University at Buffalo say they were blindsided by the news that the Buffalo Water Board stopped adding fluoride to the city’s water more than 7½ years ago.  

Leaders in the dental community said while it’s good that Buffalo is aiming to resume fluoridating its water sometime later this year, parents shouldn’t wait and need to take matters into their own hands when it comes to their kids’ dental health.

Using fluoride toothpaste at home and getting children regular fluoride treatments from a dentist are among their recommendations.

“No one in organized dentistry knew that the water in Buffalo has not been fluoridated and that the fluoridation stopped in 2015,” said Dr. Joseph E. Gambacorta, associate dean for academic and faculty affairs at UB’s School of Dental Medicine. “It’s not that there was any type of memo sent or any type of consultation (like), ‘If we do this, what will be the result?’ There was never any dialogue between the university, organized dentistry or the dental profession to discuss this issue.”

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Buffalo stopped adding fluoride to its water system in June 2015, according to the Buffalo Water Board’s annual water quality report for that year. Fluoridation was expected to be restored sometime after March 2016, the report stated. The next year, that estimate was pushed back to December 2017, before being extended to 2018 and 2019.


Are your kids getting more cavities? Buffalo's water system may be the reason why

Buffalo’s water system now contains far lower measurements of fluoride, which boosts dental health and guards against tooth decay, than what public health experts recommend. That puts Buffalo in the minority both nationally and in New York State. 

Starting in 2019, Buffalo Water stopped giving a time estimate in its annual reports. Instead it stated that its water has not contained added fluoride since 2015 and “we do not

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Typical Kid’s Medicines Linked to Enamel Problems

Young Child Teeth

Dental enamel defects are abnormalities that impact the composition and integrity of the enamel, the challenging, protective outer layer of the teeth. These flaws can be congenital or obtained and can have a important effects on the overall health and visual appeal of the enamel.

The review examined the affect of celecoxib and indomethacin, two varieties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) classified by the Environment Wellbeing Firm (WHO) as the original stage of soreness aid medicine, together with paracetamol.

According to a research executed by the College of São Paulo in Brazil, which was published in the journal

The study, conducted by researchers from the Ribeirão Preto Dental School and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of São Paulo, examined the impact of celecoxib and indomethacin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the initial step on the analgesic ladder, in addition to paracetamol.

In recent years, dentists at FORP-USP’s Dental Enamel Clinic, who research and deal with the problem on a daily basis, have observed a sharp rise in the number of children seeking treatment for pain, white or yellow tooth spots, dental sensitivity, and fragility. In some cases, simple chewing can fracture the children’s teeth. All these are classical symptoms of DEDs of the type known as enamel hypomineralization, whose causes are poorly understood.

As a result of this disorder, dental decay in the form of carious lesions appears sooner and more frequently in these patients, whose restorations are less adhesive and tend to fail more. Studies have shown they may have to replace restorations ten times more often over a lifetime than people with healthy teeth.

A coincidence aroused the researchers’ curiosity most of all: the patients’ ages. The first years of life, when DEDs form, are a period in which sickness is frequent, often with high fever. “These diseases are typically treated with NSAIDs, which inhibit the activity of cyclooxygenase [COX, a key inflammatory enzyme] and reduce the output of prostaglandin [which also promotes inflammation],” said Francisco de Paula-Silva, a professor in FORP-USP’s Pediatric Section and final writer of the write-up. “However, COX and prostaglandin are known to be physiological for dental enamel, and we, consequently, puzzled whether or not these medication interfered in the ordinary formation of this composition.”

The researchers applied rats to research the issue, as these animals have incisors that expand continuously, which facilitates evaluation. The rats have been dealt with with celecoxib and indomethacin for 28 days, just after … Read More...

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FDA Committee Endorses Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids 5-11 | Health News

The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee on Tuesday overwhelmingly endorsed a smaller dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11, a key step in getting shots to the 28 million children in the age group.

The committee decided that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for the age group. Many members said the shot would be important to continuing in-person learning for children. On the other hand, some cited the increased risk of myocarditis, a rare condition of heart inflammation that has been linked to the Pfizer and Moderna shots, as a concern. Others expressed worry that authorization of the vaccine in this age group could lead to vaccine mandates from schools.

The FDA doesn’t have to follow the committee’s recommendations, though it usually does. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee meets next week to consider the shot. If the CDC director accepts the recommendations, the shots can begin.

Cartoons on the Coronavirus

The Biden administration has already published its plan to distribute the shots should they gain authorization. It includes sending the shots to more than 25,000 pediatric offices and other primary care sites, over 100 children’s hospital systems and tens of thousands of pharmacies. Hundreds of schools and community-based clinics will also get the shots.

In documents filed with the FDA, Pfizer said that its vaccine is nearly 91% effective against symptomatic infection in the age group. Pfizer proposes the two-dose series to be administered three weeks apart.

Pfizer studied shots for children ages 5-11 that are approximately one-third the dosage given to adults. The smaller dosage was “carefully selected as the preferred dose for safety, tolerability and immunogenicity in children 5 to 11 years of age,” the company said in a press release. The company said side effects for children are “generally comparable to those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age.”

While kids generally don’t get severe cases of COVID-19 as often as older populations, they can still get seriously ill and die from the disease. More than 600 children in the U.S. have died from the disease, according to CDC data. Coronavirus cases in children peaked in September as many parents sent their kids back to school. While infections are down, kids still make up over 25% of new cases, according to a recent report.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-10-26/fda-committee-endorses-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-kids-5-11… Read More...

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Kids across Anchorage receive free dental services

Oct. 25—Stuffed animals — each fitted with a pair of shiny fake teeth — accompanied children as University of Alaska Anchorage dental students provided cleanings, X-rays and exams. “PawPatrol,” “Frozen” and Pokémon decals decorated the clear dividers between each exam room, and songs from “The Little Mermaid” blared overhead.

UAA’s Children’s Day Dental Clinic, hosted by the School of Allied Health’s dental hygiene program, gave 11 UAA dental students the opportunity to provide free services to Anchorage youths.

The event was held Friday and provided dental services for children up to 18 years old.

“When I grow up, I wanna be a dentist just like you!” 6-year-old Leilani Madrid said to Dr. Evelyn Haley, a dental program faculty member.

While waiting to get her teeth cleaned, Leilani used a small dental inspection mirror to investigate the pair of fake teeth fitted into the clinic’s stuffed animal fish that she named Tiggy.

“I did such a good job with my pictures,” Leilani said of her X-rays. “I didn’t need my mom… and baby brother’s help.”

The event gives students a chance to work on meeting degree requirements while gaining experience in a clinical setting. It also helps educate the public and provide children with a positive experience, said Carri Shamburger, dental hygiene program director.

Four-year-old Lia Barela was reluctant to leave after her appointment. Wearing a pink bracelet that dental program student Ronie Marc Salvador picked out for her from a toy box in the waiting room and clutching a small toy in the shape of a tooth, Lia begged to stay so she could hang out with her friends.

Junior Marina Pack said it was after “a lot of soul searching” that she found her way into UAA’s dental hygiene program.

“I really wanted to help people,” she said. “This is where I landed and I’m so sure it’s right for me.”

Being part of Friday’s event was the icing on the cake.

“There’s just so much happiness,” she said. Her hair was tucked neatly behind a handmade head covering decorated with bright red apples. “It’s really great to see this and get this experience.”

Senior Shayna McGinty — who wore fairy wings and a white tutu — carried her tooth fairy wand around as she interacted with children during the education portion of the event. A young girl even lowered her mask to show McGinty her missing tooth.

“It, like, melted my heart,” she said.

Shamburger said the Children’s Day Dental Clinic will be held again next year around the same time of year. Low-cost dental appointments with UAA students are also available to the public from September through April. For more information, visit the School of Allied Health’s website.

https://autos.yahoo.com/amphtml/grow-wanna-dentist-just-kids-134600731.html… Read More...

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